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Nearly three years after its mesmerizing reveal,Final Fantasy 16is upon us. In the lead-up to its launch, Square Enix has dropped a demo of FF16 free of charge - this is no PlayStation Plus timed game trial, but an honest-to-goodness no-cost chunk of gameplay.
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The demo is hefty. There’s more here than we had anticipated, and you may well feel the same. Before you hop over to the PlayStation Store on your beloved PS5, read this guide on what to expect heading into Final Fantasy 16’s extensive effort to whet your appetite ahead of the game’s looming launch.
Part One: The Story-Centric Prologue
Final Fantasy 16’s demo is split into two sections, the first of which is likely more in line with what folks would expect from it. Though FF16 technically begins with a few rapid-fire moments further into the story, it soon turns its attention to more tender moments set some 13 years into the past.
Players are then properly introduced to protagonist Clivewhen he’s just a lad of 15, and yes, this is when you get to see wolf companion Torgal as a cute little puppy.
According to the developers, the game’s prologue segment is extensive; it’s been described asroughly two hours in length, almost like an opening movie designed to establish the characters and world.
It’s plenty playable, of course - in addition to getting to know Clive, Torgal, Joshua, Jill and the rest of the gang, there’s alsoa mission deep into goblin-infested territory, where you’ll get to grips with Clive’s controls in a tutorial-like environment and battle a boss who will no doubt prove familiar to longtime fans.
Gameplay continues as Clive’s situation soon turns grim, so expect some more fights and frights. When the dust settles on the prologue’s tragic conclusion, you’ll have only just begun your time with the Final Fantasy 16 demo. Now,a second part will unlock, set a few hours further into the sizable story.
Part Two: The Battle-Heavy Fortress
You may recall our very own Meg Pellicio’sFebruary coverageof Final Fantasy 16’s first major press preview. Square Enix treated attendees to a work-in-progress version of adungeon sprawl and its climactic boss fight, and now players can saddle up and check it out. Once it’s been unlocked, thismore challenging and battle-heavyportion will be the perfect playground tofurther familiarize yourself with Clive’s abilities.
Interestingly, you will be givenmore of Clive’s Eikonic abilities here than you’ll have when you reach this fortified keep in the full game. No doubt Square wants us to see how rad a battler Clive can be with a few extra tricks up his sleeve, a sound play given how relatively limited your move set will be during the prologue.
The dungeon will conclude with an epic clash between Clive and villainess Benedikta, and yes, they will transform into FF16’s emblematic Eikons.You’ll duke it out against Benedikta’s Garuda in Clive’s own Ifrit form, sending the demo out in style.
Does The Demo’s Save Data Transfer Into The Main Game?
Yes and no!The prologue half of the FF16 demo includes transferable save data, so you won’t have to replay the big sprawling flashback stuff (unless you want to).
On the other hand, owing to its very nature,the second half of the demo does not contain transferable data. After all, it’s set a few hours after the moment at which the game’s story continues on from the end of the prologue. You’d be skipping over quite a bit if you were to load up a file from here!
What Are The Demo’s Two Difficulty Modes?
The Final Fantasy 16 demo allows players to toggle betweenStory-Focused mode and Action-Focused mode. The same question will pop up when you get started with the full game, so it’s good to know what it all means. In both versions,Timely Accessoriesare available to aid players who are less experienced with fast-paced action games fret less over dodging, parrying, and the like.
The difference is thatStory-Focused Mode enables these accessories by default, easing you into the swing of things. They’re unequipped in Action-Focused mode, but you can just head into the menu and hand them to Clive if you so desire, so really,there’s very little difference between the two modes.
Final Fantasy 16 launches on June 13, 2025. The demo, of course, isn’t going anywhere afterward, so if you should happen to be reading this after that date and want a feel for Square’s latest mainline FF before deciding whether to commit to purchase, give this meaty slice a shake!
